Feature: KLASSICAL KWEENS: Jasmine Rice LaBeija

The first time I saw Ms. Jasmine Rice LaBeija perform she was serving full female fantasy, donning a vibrant set of what MUST have been DD's-and that's a conservative estimate. She was scantily clad in a little black number that hugged every one of her curves with exacting precision, bookending the experience with the perfect dramatic wig. She was a visual pastry that demanded consumption-and I was there for every crumb. I needed to know more about this enchantress, and when she threw some classical music into her act, I all but stopped the show dead in its tracks-demanding a background check.

Eventually, I found out this goddess, who boasts a versatile tenor, had studied classically-vocal performance at The Juilliard School. Up to this point, the only similarities I could see between the gay club and the opera house were the lines at the men's room-but, the more we talked, the more I realized this may not actually be the case...

I asked her to describe her Juilliard experience, to which she responded: very expensive. After getting the laugh that she was looking for, she became more intimate:

"It's the type of school where you need to know that you are going to sacrifice your whole self into your art. You have to dedicate yourself completely. They call [singers] Diva, or Prima Donna for a reason-you are the main instrument on stage. Your body is the vessel to amplify your voice. [Most] don't realize how taxing it is to fill the space without a microphone."

Thinking back to the confessional interviews on RuPaul's Drag Race, the clear parallels of sacrifice and immersion between the classical music and drag world started smacking me in the face. These queens sacrifice and commit so much of their time and energy to the art of it all-not unlike a classical musician slaving away to master the perfect cadenza. Is it different? Sure. But the principles are the same:

"[My classical training] has taught me how polished I need to be. I have been trained to be on stage. It has influenced me that I can engage the crowd without having to do typical drag queen gimmicks or stunts," she said.

As the president of the gay-straight alliance at The Juilliard School, Chris (Jasmine's male alter-ego) dabbled in drag, but it wasn't until 2012 Pride that Jasmine came onto the scene with something to say. Armed with her love affair of the theatricality embedded in opera, she dove headfirst into living her full drag fantasy-serving as the designer, producer, and performer. She loves creating the dream world where she is in control and you can feel this in her performances.

We started talking about her classical influences and she was quick to site fellow Juilliard alumna, Leontyne Price, as well as Maria Callas. To be completely honest, due to Jasmine's love of theatricality, neither of these inspirations shocked me-they are quintessential operatic divas that all drag queens could stand to take a page from. However, the next name surprised me and warmed my heart-Marilyn Horne. When asked how, specifically, Jasmine said:

"She influences what I do in my ENTIRE life-and how I treat people."

Ms. Horne is a trailblazer and philanthropist with a constitution that can't be rivaled-including, but not limited to, the time she told cancer to go to hell. For Jasmine, this fierce, unapologetic queen, to reference such a warm diva as inspiration for her work, reminded me of the duality we all poses. She can be the fierce Maria Callas queen, while also paying homage to the warm, caring Ms. Horne. She can be dressed as the magnificent Turandot, while singing the heart-aching tenor aria from the same opera, 'Nessun Dorma'-but with Chris' voice. She can be Jasmine Rice LaBeija, while also pursuing an operatic career as her male counterpart.

Drag is about duality-the duality in all of us. So, I challenge you-if you've been to a drag show, get yourself to a classical music performance. If you can get into Jasmine's flavor, then why not explore the world that's influenced it? And, if you've been to a classical music performance, get yourself to a drag show. Personally, I'm finding more similarities than differences.

When asked to describe her drag in three words, she said:

"Fantasy, Sunshine (because I light up the room every time I walk in), and LIVING (because you can't let others dictate your life)."

Catch Jasmine flaunting her innate duality at the following dates and times: brunch on Sundays-District Social from 12-3; Sunday evenings-Hardware Bar at 7pm; Every other Wednesday-Baracuda at 11:30; and Thursday-Pieces at 10:30pm.

Try something new! Get your ass to a classical music performance!